


Waiting for that midnight phone call

by LaughingStones



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Child Abandonment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, but the vantases will take care of gamzee, goatdad's a jerk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-21 21:18:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9566756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingStones/pseuds/LaughingStones
Summary: “Gamzee, where are you?”“Out,” he said in a tiny voice, “Karkat, I’m out, he said not to come back.  Not ever.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a dream I had, and written up shortly after, ages ago. (Dream described on my tumblr [here](http://rollerskatinglizard.tumblr.com/post/130371441661/last-night-i-dreamt-humanstuck-gamzee-went-to).)

When the phone on his bedside table rang, Karkat’s hand was on it before he was even half awake. The room was dark, only an edge of orange light from the streetlamp outside filtering in, and he knew without checking who it was. 

“Gamzee,” he mumbled, “what’s going on?” Probably everything was okay, there had been tense moments before in the middle of the night because the idiot kept weird fucking hours and didn’t always think to check the time before calling. 

No answer on the other end, just a wet sounding gasp, and Karkat was wide awake now. 

“Talk to me,” he said sharply. “Are you okay?” 

A damp sniffle was followed by, “Yeah,” in a shaky voice. 

“You’re not hurt? He didn’t - “ 

“No, best friend, ain’t harmed, not a motherfucking touch.” A small unsteady laugh. “Fucking freezing, but not so much as a bruise on me.” 

“Freezing? Gamzee, where are you?” 

“Out,” he said in a tiny voice, “Karkat, I’m out, he said not to come back. Not ever.” 

Karkat felt his stomach drop. Considering the circumstances, it shouldn’t have come as a shock; Gamzee had been expecting this for over a year now. Apparently deep down Karkat had still believed it couldn't happen, because it shook him hard. “Fuck,” he said hoarsely, “that son of a _bitch_. Okay. Okay, okay.” He took a deep breath. “Are you outside your house? Is he still there, or - “ 

“No, bro.” The pause was filled with shaky breathing and the occasional sniff. “I couldn’t, I couldn’t stay. Said, he said I’m no blood of his, I don’t, I don’t fucking know,” his voice hitched and broke and Karkat had to close his eyes as Gamzee sobbed, distant on the other end. “Dunno what to _do_. Where the fuck do I go?” 

“Here!” Karkat growled, then caught himself and lowered his voice to keep from waking the household. “Fucking moron, you come here. Now tell me exactly where you are so I can come pick you up.” 

*

Dad was coming down the hallway, sleepy-eyed in just his pajama bottoms. “Karkat? What are you doing up, is everything alright?” 

"No," Karkat said, tight and low so he wouldn't start yelling and wake everyone else. "Gamzee's flaming asshole of a father just kicked him out of the house and told him not to come back. I'm gonna go pick him up, bring him back for the night, the moron was planning to sleep in a fucking bus shelter. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." 

Dad stared for a minute, then his jaw clenched and he rubbed his hands over his face. “Goddammit,” he whispered. “That poor kid, it strains my faith in humanity. You are not driving anywhere, it’s the middle of the night and you only just got your license. Let me find a shirt, I’ll drive.” 

“Dad, no, I can drive the damn car, you can go back to bed -” 

“Someday if you have your own kid I’ll remind you you said that and you’ll blow up in my face about how stupid you used to be,” Dad said over his shoulder in a low voice, going back into his room. He was out a second later, tugging a t-shirt over his head. “Besides, this way you can ride in the back seat with him. He’ll need the support right now.” 

*

When they pulled up to the curb, Gamzee was huddled in the bus shelter. He had on his favorite hoodie, a threadbare pair of jeans and his backpack. Karkat scrambled out of the car. 

“No wonder you’re freezing, you don’t even have a jacket. Come on, get in the car.” 

Gamzee looked up and tried to smile, shaky and wet-eyed. It didn't work very well. Karkat reached for him and stumbled under the impact when Gamzee lunged to wrap around him, clinging. One big hand grabbed his shoulder, brushing the side of his bare neck, and he jerked and swore. 

“Holy fuck, your fingers are like icicles! Get in already, the heat’s on, you can warm up.” He pushed Gamzee toward the back door and climbed in on the other side. 

“Evening, Gamzee,” Dad said, pulling away from the curb. “I’m really sorry about all this.” 

Gamzee went tense like he'd only just noticed the adult in the driver's seat, wide eyes flickering from him to Karkat and back again. “No, I - _I’m_ sorry, sir, I didn’t mean as you should hafta get yourself up and out here to come fetch my ass!” He leaned over to Karkat and hissed in his ear, “Shit, bro, you didn’t gotta be waking folk, I don’t wanna be no more trouble!” 

“I didn’t wake him up,” Karkat said, frowning at him, “I was going to come get you myself. He wanted to drive.” He lowered his voice. “Gamzee, for fuck’s sake, he volunteered; he’s not going to be mad.” 

"It's honestly not a problem, I don't mind," Dad added. 

Gamzee hunched, looking miserable. "Yessir." 

Karkat leaned in. “Seriously, he said it’s okay,” he said in an undertone. “What the fuck, what’s wrong?” 

“I can't be no more trouble tonight,” Gamzee whispered, shaking his head. He was starting to leak tears again. “Bro, I motherfucking can’t.” 

“You’re not trouble,” Karkat growled. “Goddammit - come here.” He wrapped his arms around the bony frame and Gamzee buried his face in Karkat's shoulder, sniffling, breath shuddering. Karkat stroked his back, hating that abusive asshole more with every stifled sob. When he glanced up, Dad was watching them in the rearview mirror, frowning. 

“You’ve had a rough time tonight, but we’ll look after you, alright?” Dad said. “You’ll be okay.” 

Gamzee sort of went still for a moment, lifting his head a little to look forward at Dad. “Yes sir,” he said softly after a pause. “...Thanks.” 

When he put his head back down on Karkat’s shoulder, he wasn’t shaking anymore. Karkat held him all the way home anyway. 


End file.
